The Internet is a global computer network that allows users to communicate with each other through various applications, such as, instant messaging. Various instant messaging (IM) systems are available that allow communication more akin to genuine conversations as compared to time delayed communications like email, Short Messaging Service (SMS), and so on. In addition, many IM systems include mechanisms that allow a user to display a “presence” status (e.g., online, offline, away, etc.).
An IM system known as WINDOWS® LIVE™ Messenger (Microsoft Corporation, Redmond, Wash.) includes a presence application programming interface (WINDOWS® LIVE™ presence API). This HTTP-based API returns a WINDOWS® LIVE™ Messenger user's presence using JavaScript™ Object Notation (JSON) (Sun Microsystems, Inc., Sunnyvale, Calif.) or an image. The WINDOWS® LIVE™ presence API can be used in conjunction with a control known as the WINDOWS® LIVE™ Messenger IM Control. A Web site can show a user's presence using the WINDOWS® LIVE™ presence API and let visitors send messages to the user with the WINDOWS® LIVE™ Messenger IM Control.
The WINDOWS® LIVE™ presence API allows an IM user to invite other IM users to provide permission to display their online presence. This is accomplished by adding a link to a signup page. When a user clicks the signup link, the user is taken to a WINDOWS® LIVE™ Messenger settings page. Once the signup is completed the user is directed back to the URL that was specified in the signup link. One can then use the user's ID to query for the user's online presence.
While user “presence” has become a basic feature of most IM systems, as users desire to share more information, some IM systems have developed mechanisms to extend presence with so-called “presence extensions”. A presence extension may allow a user to provide additional information such as location or activity to a presence status. For example, for a user “Joe”, a presence status and presence extension might indicate “busy” and “listening to James Brown”. However, to date, the ability to readily share extended information is limited. As described herein, various exemplary methods, systems, devices, etc., allow people to share any of a variety of information in an IM environment.